Wednesday night's shooting in Tilbury left the residents of Raphael Avenue reeling as a young man, named locally as Mikey Connors, was rushed to hospital with a gunshot wound to his stomach.

At around 7.15pm on Wednesday (September 26), police were called to the scene near to Sullivan Road.

The victim remains in a serious but stable condition. A 36 year-old man from Tilbury and a 40 year-old man from Stanford le Hope are in custody.

The cordon remains in place today (Thursday, September 27), with officers stationed either end.

A mobile police station has also been set up inside the taped off area.

For those who live there, the incident is shocking but unsuprising. Residents have lifted the lid on how they are scared to leave their front door since the area has been plagued with crime.

This is what it is like to live on Essex's deadly street:

Crime scene after a man was shot in Tilbury

The unsuspecting street is like any other. Walking down the road, you see the rows of semi-detached 1970s houses, cars parked in driveways and a children's bike in one front garden.

But beneath the surface, Raphael Avenue has seen a string of violent crimes in the past few years. A little down the road is a cordon put in place since the most recent incident - the shooting of a 19-year-old man.

23-year-old Connor Lee has lived in the road almost his entire life, and says it is getting increasingly worse.

"The area is getting worse," he said. "There was a shooting a few years back and a stabbing around the corner two weeks ago and now this.

Read More

"This road was so lovely," Connor explained. "So quiet, you got no trouble. I've lived here pretty much all my life and have had a lovely childhood growing up here.

"But now, I'm definitely looking to move away. It's too dangerous.

"Everyone knows that there's a certain time of night when you just can't go for a walk in Tilbury anymore."

Time Line

Tilbury shooting: A timeline of events

Witness heard 'screaming'

The incident occurred on Wednesday, September 26 at around 7pm.

A 20-year-old man, who lives on Raphael Avenue, said: "I was in my room on the computer and all I heard was people screaming.

"I specifically heard, 'Come on then you little w*****'.

"This was probably around 7pm."

Police storm the street

A number of officers rushed to the scene by 7.15pm. A cordon was put in place near Sullivan Road.

Armed police at Basildon Hospital

Armed police and dog units swarmed Basildon Hospital.

This is believed to have occurred at around 7.30pm.

A spokesperson from Basildon and Thurrock Hospital Trust later confirmed that armed police were on site.

Witness describes huge police presence

A witness, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: "I’d been visiting my brother-in-law and when we were by the lifts on Level A and we saw an armed policeman and an unarmed one go through what I believe is the operating theatre doorway.

"We heard a few people say something had happened outside and as we came out the main entrance we were directed to the right towards the maternity bit and then round to the car park.

"The area where ambulances and other emergency vehicles park up was all taped off.

"Buses were still able to get to the bus stop.

"There was a police minibus blocking part of the mini roundabout by the car park entrance but I don’t think they were stopping people from going through.

"There were a lot of police and members of the public standing outside A&E but don’t know whether they were sent outside."

Shooting is confirmed

At around 10pm, Essex Police confirmed that a 19-year-old man had suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach.

He had been taken to hospital by a member of the public and was in a serious but stable condition.

Two arrests made

In the early hours of Thursday morning (September 27), two men - a 36-year-old from Tilbury and a 40-year-old from Stanford-le-Hope - were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

They remain in custody.

Cordon remains in place

Residents woke up on Thursday morning to see the cordon still in place.

Officers were standing guard and a mobile police station was set up.

Residents react to shooting

A female resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: "I live on my own and over the years it’s not been a very good street but normally it’s not this close.

"It often makes you wonder who is it. Who has been hurt? Whose family has it happened to? It is really unnerving.

"It was only two weeks ago there was a stabbing. I won’t go out after dark on my own anymore now. I’m not taking that risk."

"This last two years it has got worse," a 20-year-old man, who wishes to remain anonymous, said. "But a shooting I have not seen.

"The stabbing was right over the road. It feels like it’s getting closer to home.

"It makes me worry because I have a lot of younger siblings who are in school. Safety is a bit of a concern."

Police release important update

Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Stoten, from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: “Our investigations are progressing well and the two men we have arrested remain in custody.

“We still need to trace a black Mazda 3 with the licence plate YH58 LKL which we believe may be linked to this incident.

“If you’ve seen that vehicle please do not approach it but call us on 999.

“This incident has understandably had a lot of attention from the public and the media but there is a lot of incorrect information which has appeared online and I want to address that.

“The victim was taken for treatment by a member of the public but there was no second incident at the hospital and nobody was shot at there.

“There was also never a man with a firearm at the hospital. Our officers went there due to the nature of the incident and to ensure the victim was safeguarded.

“I would urge people not to speculate about this incident but instead follow the updates we issue publicly.”

How to contact the police

If you have any information please call Essex Police on 101 quoting incident 1114 of September 26 or email scd.appeals.essex@essex.pnn.police.uk.

Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Shooting victim named

19-year-old Mikey Connors remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Two arrested released on bail

On Friday, September 28, the two men arrested on suspicion of attempted murder were released on conditional bail.

'Someone is now fighting for their life'

Connor's girlfriend, who wishes only to be known as Charlotte, has moved down from Newcastle to live with him. She was hoping to bring her two-year-old son to the town when she got settled, but now she is not sure.

"What kind of world is it when you can't even walk down your own street because you might get mugged or shot?" she said.

"Someone is now fighting for their life in a hospital bed.

"I have a little boy and I'm glad he wasn't down here. He would have been petrified and would never have slept.

"I don't want him around this. What will it take for people to realise that it is not safe anymore?"

The most recent incident even ruined what would have been an amazing moment for the couple.

"Connor was actually coming to propose to me last night," she said. "He had the engagement ring with him. But on the way, he saw all the police and then it went on from there.

Man shot in the stomach has been named

What else has happened in Raphael Avenue?

The street has made headlines in the last few years for a string of serious incidents.

Nearby Melba Gardens, which sits just a few metres from the cordon, had a huge police presence on September 8.

Officers were called just before midnight following a disturbance. During the incident, one man was stabbed on a number of occasions, although none of the injuries were believed to be life-threatening.

In 2015, gunshots were fired from a 4x4 in the same stretch of the street.

The bullets ripped through the front of a property, smashing the windows.

Police carried out investigations but no-one was injured.

Witnesses reported "seeing a firearm discharged" from the rear passenger window of a dark coloured 4X4 vehicle which left the scene, police said.

What happens next?

Police have arrested two men on suspicion of attempted murder following the incident on Wednesday night - a 36-year-old from Tilbury and a 40-year-old from Stanford-le-Hope.

Officers remain at the cordon on Raphael Avenue and have set up a mobile police station and officers are encouraging residents to get in touch and raise any concerns.

Police are looking to trace a black Mazda 3 with the licence plate YH58 LKL which we believe may be linked to this incident. Please do not approach the vehicle and call 999 if spotted.

Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Stoten, from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: “Our investigations are progressing well and the two men we have arrested remain in custody.

“We still need to trace a black Mazda 3 with the licence plate YH58 LKL which we believe may be linked to this incident.

"If you’ve seen that vehicle please do not approach it but call us on 999.

“This incident has understandably had a lot of attention from the public and the media but there is a lot of incorrect information which has appeared online and I want to address that.